Books – Bound Periodicals

August 12, 2012

‘Dip’ by name, ‘Dip’ by nature. Professor Serendip returns with a brief dip into the world of bound periodicals.

Periodicals are not something that we, in the private home tutoring service, readily explore. Students undertaking GCSE English do not delve into the world of literary periodicals , although there are one or two up to date publications that ‘A’ level English candidates may want to explore. On the other hand, ‘A’ level Sociology students should definitely keep up to date by reading periodicals with the latest findings on their subject.

So periodicals definitely have their place in today’s world of education for those striving to climb into the ‘Ivory Tower’.

This volume of 960 pages consists of six monthly parts bound together.

The authors were distinguished contemporaries, Matthew Arnold, Richard Jefferies, Walt Whitman (on hospitals) and Theodore Roosevelt (the future president) with articles on cowboys, sheriffs, frontier types, badmen, mountain hunters and with illustrations by the famour artist Remington. There are long articles on Siberia, Sinai, Lincoln and Uppingham, all with striking illustrations. There are numerous short and long stories (including a two-parter by Henry James) as well as solemn non-fiction pieces on astronomy, machine guns, nutrition, adult education, a Trappist monastery in Kentucky, the Southern Catskills. . . and so forth.

Is there any magazine today with such a variety of contents? There is no lack of periodicals on sale. A visit to W.H. Smith will show that you can choose any one of eight magazines on tattooing. But they did not have a copy of the excellently illustrated How It Works. This was only available at Morrison’s supermarket.

There is something fascinating about bound volumes of periodicals. One recalls the satisfaction on the face of someone watching his dinner guests prowling and browsing through volume after volume of Punch.

The mention of that famous magazine Punch must bring back memories to some of the older perusers of this post. Perhaps the closest today is Private Eye. Long live satire!

Very Inspiring Blogger Award

Blog of the Year Award

Other Places To Find Me

My blog has recently been added to Education Blogs, which is part of one of the largest networks of blog directories on the Web. Please visit my blog's personal page to vote for my blog and comment to other blog users.